An Unstable Relationship
by Amthyst Rose Dracoanias
Summary: Subaku no Gaara was a lonely child locked inside of his own body with a demon that wanted nothing but fear, blood, and pain. Haruno Sakura was a young, abused kunoichi who was tired of living for the sake of others alone. In fact, she was tired of living.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **An Unstable Relationship

**Summary: **Subaku no Gaara was a lonely child locked inside of his own body with a demon that wanted nothing but fear, blood, and pain. Haruno Sakura was a young, abused kunoichi who was tired of living for the sake of others alone. In fact, she was tired of living. What would happen though, if the hurt kunoichi found a reason to live in the form of a lost soul that needed and hated love?

**Pairings:** GaaraxSakura-NarutoxHinata-InoxShikamaruxTemari(Don't ask. Just read.Oo)-Maybe some more.

**Unkey-Dorey! I am a firm supporter of Gaara and of Sakura. So, naturally, I'm a firm supporter of GaaraxSakura! xD Anyway. I just want to say that the first chapter is just a prologue and I plan to make it more interesting later. Please, enjoy! And if you don't...(TOO BAD!!!)...please be polite and courteous in your rejection...**

* * *

It was coarse, rough, and dry. It was intimidating and forbidding. It was like him. He was like the sand, like the desert. Like every desert, this one also had a secret oasis. It could be found deep within the folds of his heart. Yes, it could be found, but no one ever dared. Not even the two ninjas who claimed him as their brother. No one dared to venture into Subaku no Gaara's heart to drink from that hidden sanctuary. And so he stayed on his roof top, gazing at the stars, seeking to decipher the secret held in the depths of the sky, wondering if anyone would brave his unstable mind to comfort the child he truly was.

xXxXxXxXxXxXoooooooooooooXxXxXxXxXxXx

Elsewhere, in a village hidden in the leaves, a young kunoichi took in the familiar view that waited beyond her window and sighed. She turned to the full length mirror she was standing before. To anyone who saw her, she was a lovely young lady whose features promised to blossom into eternal and natural beauty.

Her hair, the only thing she liked about herself, was startling shade of pastel pink that fell to the small of her back.

Her hair's unnatural coloring seemed to accent the striking emerald in her eyes 'Why are my eyes so strange? They make me look wierd.'

She had thin lips and a petite nose to complete her facial features. But, no matter how many times she was told of her own beauty, all she saw in the mirror was—'STUPID forehead! Why's it got to be so DARN BIG?!!'

Her body wasn't exactly unattractive either. As a kunoichi, even a kunoichi in training, her body had been worked and honed into weapon. She was slim but there was plenty of evidence as to what her gender was. And she was muscular, but so much as to scare guys away. But it didn't matter to the young kunoichi.

'What's the point anymore?' Sakura thought. 'He was never interested in me, he still isn't, and he most likely never will be. All he cares about anymore is getting stronger and proving that he is better than Naruto.' She sighed and returned to her window. She had long since realized that Sasuke would never love her the way she loved him. She had recently decided that she no longer loved him the way she _thought_ she did.

It was time to grow up, she was going to stop with her crush on Sasuke and work on getting stronger. Not for him, but for herself. From now on, Haruno Sakura would live only for herself! 'Strange. I know I have heard that from somewhere.'


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, this place is friendly. ;D In response to Sakura-and-anyone-but-Sasuke, I believe it is after the exams as I would like Gaara to be the even-harder-to-approach-than-usual Kazekage. As a warning, the way that I intend to do this is going to be a little strange and definitely not time line oriented. A lot of flash backs. I also plan to TRY and develop a deep personality, scarred, but deep. I don't like how she always looks like the ditz in the anime no matter what she does. Thanks for the reviews Sakura-and-anyone-but-Sasuke AND -a-Lost-Cause-317-, I really appreciate it!

**Disclaimer:** Something that I forgot originally. "I solemnly swear that I, Amthyst Rose Dracoanias, do not own Naruto or any other characters associated with said anime/manga." _'If I did, Gaara would have kidnapped Sakura a long time ago and eloped with her!'_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Two**

xXxXxXxXxXxXooooooooooooooXxXxXxXxXxXx

The Past—

_She hunched her shoulders and fiddled with a loose string on her dress. Why did have to stare at her? No. Why did they have to stare at her forehead?! Why did it have to be so big?...She didn't deserve what had…That's what she told herself, but sometimes, a spark ignited, her eyes would narrow with fury and something inside of her would simply say…_

_**I don't deserve their stares either. But they still stare at me like I'm some sort of freak. Maybe they need to know how it feels to be stared at like that!**_

_And then, as quickly as the snap of the fingers, the little girl's eyes would widen and her gaze would fall back to her feet and her hands would continue to fiddle with that loose string. She would feel the stares until she made it to the safety of her room. No, her home itself offered her no sanctuary. Her father, forever dissatisfied with what he had would punish her for being so ugly. He would yell and beat her for supposedly failing her lessons at the academy, as though she did so intentionally. He would tell her that she deserved the stares of hatred and scorn that she always received from people who didn't even know her. And afterwards her mother, though she meant well, would help her back to her room and "gently" scold her for angering her "beloved" father._

_It wasn't until she met that strange boy that she no longer felt that she was alone. He was as strange as she; he even had these strange marks on his face that looked like whiskers. All the other kids avoided him because the adults said that a demon was locked inside of his body. The little girl didn't care. He was nice to her. He always said that she was pretty, even though she didn't believe him, and would ask her to train with him everyday. They were good friends. She and Uzamaki Naruto got along rather well together, in their own way._

_And then she truly felt like she was somebody worth noticing when that girl, Ion, had started talking to her. They developed a strange friendship based on constant rivalry. She called her Ion-Pig and the Pig called her Forehead Girl. When this happened, she didn't mind as much, AS much. Narrator and Ion-Pig made her feel better about herself. But still, people stared at her, she failed her lessons, and her parents continued to show her what the punishments for flaws and failures were. That voice, in the back of her mind slowly became louder and, strangely, more subtle in its opinion. No matter, it was always making her feel like more of a freak when it suggested her do things that she could NEVER do! It nearly drove her to insanity._

_And then she saw him, Uchiha Sasuke. He was beautiful. Smart. Brilliant. He was amazing. And sometimes, he __**looked**__ at her. It didn't matter if he was just sneering at her forehead like the rest. He __**looked**__ at her. Slowly, she changed a little. She grew her pink hair out to cover her abnormal forehead. She applied herself to her studies with far more energy than anyone thought could be held in her small body. _

_And the result; she slowly found confidence in herself. She developed trusting relationships with some and confided in them her troubles. Her parents were given warnings that if they ever hurt her again, she would be taken away and given to a more loving family while her family's fortune would still fall to her name. They never raised a hand to her again. But, Sasuke never showed any true interest in her. And he was the main reason (not the only reason but certainly the main one) that caused her to push herself, to become more than she was. Oh, he tried; he tried to show affection to her. But in the end…he left her…he left her and labeled her a weak freak who held no interest for him. Uchiha Sasuke, the person who had pushed her to turn her life around, had abandoned her to seek power. The power to defeat his brother he found in the arms of Konoha's greatest enemy, Orochimaru._

The girl sighed again. Tsunade-sama could see that her pupil was in need of a break. Or else she herself would break. The Hokage signed a scroll and gave it to the still young kunoichi to deliver to the Kazekage. Hopefully, she'll find reprieve away from the source of her despair.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N— I love this place! Unkey-Dorey! It has been brought to my attention that the narrator of this story is somewhat foggy. So. It is sort of in third person. But sometimes not. I'm still not really certain how I want to tell this story yet. It is just that I have this idea and I am determined to express it in whatever way I can. If I can, I'll try to clean it up. Or after I finish it. shrug Depends, deep down I am fickle. ;D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any characters associated with him and/or his universe. If I did, Naruto would be the Sun, Gaara would be the Moon, and Sakura would be the Sky!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3:**

xXxXxXxXxXxXoooooooooooooxXxXxXxXxXxX

'**Hah! Stuck in a room with piles of scrolls and parchment claiming to be politics! I pity you boy! I truly do! You could have refused and continued with the blood lust. But NO! You had to anchor yourself down with responsibilities and attachments! How WEAK!'**

And with that, the inner demon buried deep within the desert that is the Kazekage's soul went back to his corner to mourn the lack of blood coating his vessels hands. Said vessel leaned back in the expensive, and comfortable, chair with a sigh and began to rub his eyes. If anyone had just peeked through the crack in the door, they would have seen a young man, but a teenager, rubbing his eyes like a toddler tired of a game and ready for a nap. That is, IF anyone dared risk disturbing the young man all feared as the Sand Demon of Suna.

No one dared, no one risked, and no one peeked in to give the "boy" a break from the politics that were swiftly sucking the life out of him. It was times like these that he wished he was still a young ninja, being sent away on fool's errands just so Suna could breathe easy in his absence. He wished that he could go into the desert and gaze at the stars, listening as they quietly told their secrets. He wished he could go home, not to the mansion that they insisted he live in, but to the small house he had lived in with Temari and Kankuro. After he had gained some semblance of control over Shukaku and learned how to sleep, his siblings had developed a closer relationship with him to make up for lost time.

He still saw them sometimes. But lately, it had mostly been to send them away on missions. He last saw Temari and had to send her onto patrol duty again. She was becoming tired of that task and was starting to make her displeasure known. The Great Gaara of the Desert ALMOST shuddered at the thought of being the target of a fool-blown-crazed-Temari-melt-down. Yet again, he wished that others still openly feared him as a blood thirsty sociopath. At least then, Temari wouldn't dare yell at him. The boy sighed again.

One good thing, and he never thought that it would be such a wonderful gift indeed, was that he could now dream. It was something that was entirely new to him. He remembered that he had once watched others sleep, wanting to kill only because they could travel to a world of peace and fantasy. An escape from their daily lives. He knew better now, of course, not all dreams were an escape. A good amount of them tend to be prisons erected by the mind itself. Something Shukaku continued to remind him. He couldn't break free. But, sometimes, he threw his vessel deep into the throes of a nightmare the likes of which would scare his "dearly departed father".

Suddenly, there was a quick rap on the door. And Kankuro barged in talking about some recent activity on their western border that may have been Akatsuki. But may have also been some upstart missing nin. Gaara was tired of the mounds of paper and ink on his desk and so, with a characteristic "Hn…" he got up and walked out of his office.

They walked for awhile, no real destination in mind as Gaara contemplated the importance of his elder brother's report. From the general description, Gaara was almost ready to bet money on a missing nin causing the problem. However, Gaara knew how subtle the Akatsuki could be and, let's not forget, Orochimaru was still out there. Gaara decided to pretend that he knew nothing of the activity but train a small group to take care of this violation of his borders. No need to rush into a dangerous situation and lose the lives of his people for nothing.

As this flew through his mind, it occurred to Gaara, just how much he had changed. And then he realized in a fleeting moment of self pity, he could never go back to being the boy who was feared as "Gaara of the Desert". At least, he couldn't go back to being just the boy with a demon in his head. The demon would always be in his head. From now, until he died or passed his title on, he would be Gaara, the Kazekage of Sunagakure.

Gaara turned to his brother and gave his orders before, once again returning to his office and…the paperwork. He had responsibilities that needed to be seen to. But once again, he was halted in his efforts to tame the political beast that was terrorizing his desk by a knock on the door. He looked out to see the sun just beginning to set, which meant that it was almost midnight. He called for the person to enter in his rough voice and was surprised to see a pink haired kunoichi standing in his office. She approached his desk and bowed in respect before handing him a scroll and stepping back to wait.

* * *

It is probably looking a little wierd in this one. But I see Gaara as but a broken child locked inside a demon, where Sakura will become the demon locked inside the broken child.. They draws a heart in the air complete each other...If you are worried, don't; I'm seeing my psychologist tomorrow on Monday. ; D 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Yay! I'm on a roll! All right. The letter is a little weird. I am not sure I did it right. But, it serves my purposes for now. Another warning: I am a slow person. I like to amble towards my point rather than rush. So I may take some detours to further explain some seemingly unrelated details. But, don't worry; it will all come together in the end! I hope…Thanks for reading, reviewing, and giving your support!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any other characters associated with him. _If I did…all of the Akatsuki would be stealing the Naruto girls and adding them to their personal harem! _**Whoah! I think I just had a major bout of "Dark-Thought-Influenza"!**

**

* * *

****Chapter 4:**

Greetings and Salutations to the Kazekage of Sunagakure;

I, Lady Tsunade, the Hokage of Konohagakure; would like to request that the Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand welcome the kunoichi bearing this message into the employ of the main medical facilities. Her name is Haruno Sakura and she has been my pupil for some time now. However, I feel that her skills would develop further from a foreign experience. I am confident that she will be a valuable asset to Sunagakure and to you, Lord Kazekage.

Sincerely,

Lady Tsunade, Hokage of Konohagakure

xXxXxXxXxXxXoooooooooooooooXxXxXxXxXxXx

The Kazekage looked over the letter again, noticing the a few stains that smelled of sake. The letter was signed and sealed by the Hokage herself. He glanced up to observe the kunoichi in question. Could she be…

There was not doubt about it. She was the kunoichi who fought alongside one of his few friends, Uzamaki Naruto. But she was also that same kunoichi who had chased after that bastard Uchiha. Now that he was thinking about it, she stood out in his memories mostly as the kunoichi who dared stand between him and his prey. He remembered that he had nearly killed her. If her life had not been so valuable to the Kyuubi, she would have died long ago.

But to look at her; one was torn between seeing that same defenseless kunoichi or the unnaturally strong medic nin who had found fame as the Hokage's protégé. **'Please! That girl? UNNATURALLY STRONG?! She is an arrogant little girl who needs to be shown her place!'** Gaara sighed, mentally. For now, he quickly decided to put on a sort of "probation" at the hospital. If she did well, he would allow her to work there on a regular schedule as the brilliant medic nin she was supposed to be. But, until then, she would be treated as the little, defenseless, kunoichi who thought she could stand up to a demon.

Maybe he could draw some amusement from this. "You there, Girl." He allowed himself to smirk a little as she visibly flinched. "Your Hokage wants me to put you to work in Sunagakure's hospital. Tell me, what your qualifications for this occupation are."

She fought to control her inner self when Gaara of the Desert…no…the Kazekage, dismissed her name and referred to her in one of the crudest forms. Oh how she wanted to wring his pasty little neck. But no. She would not lower herself to his level.

"Your Hokage wants me to put you to work in Sunagakure's hospital. Tell me, what are your qualifications for this occupation?"

xXxXxXxXxXxXoooooooooooooooooooooXxXxXxXxXxXx

twitch-twitch-twitch And there went her eye. "With all due respect, Lord Kazekage, my name is Haruno Sakura. And as for my _qualifications_, Lord Kazekage, I have been trained in the medical arts by Lady Tsunade herself. I have spent the last three years working double shifts at the Konohagakure's hospital. I worked mostly with high risk cases and fatal wounds. I normally spend a few hours everyday in the children's ward as well. And, may I remind the Lord Kazekage, I did save his brother Kankuro from death not too long ago. Does the Lord Kazekage feel that I am qualified enough to work in Sunagakure's medical facilities?" twitch-twitch-twitch

**Where does he get off disrespecting me like that?! I saved his brother's LIFE! Have I not proven my abilities time and time again?! What is WRONG with this guy?! And AGAIN with that STUPID SMIRK! AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!**

Sakura almost swore that the Kazekage could hear the ranting voice inside HER head. She was starting to think that Lady Tsunade had lost her mind when she decided to send Sakura away to the desert. Especially as she stared into the eyes of the demon that had once come so close to killing her.

* * *

I think that next, will be another flash back. But I'm not telling who is going to have it or what of or when. See as I don't know yet myself! Hehehe…Anyway. Unless a miracle happens. I think that that is it for today. Thanks for all the reviews and the support! 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Yay! People like my Sakura! Okay. Today we shall TRY to delve into Gaara a bit. Though I'm not sure how successful I'm gonna be. I'll try though. Please enjoy! 

**Disclaimer: **I, Amthyst Rose Dracoanias, do not own Naruto or anything else legally associated with him. _If I did…Zetsu would find some nice girl who could deal with his __multiple personality disorder. And Tobi would be revealed as Obito. And Kisame…would be…Kisame, I guess._

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Five:**

The Kazekage watched with satisfaction as the kunoichi turned on her heel and exited his office. Looking down, he saw that a part of his desk was visible and his job, therefore, was done for the day.

'_It's a good night for a walk…'_

'_**Ha! You just want to think about that weak little excuse for a KUNOICHI!'**_

Gaara's eye twitched a little at the demon's never-ending supply of perversity. Was there truly nothing else for it to think about? Did it HAVE to go on and on about the female species. Gaara had long since decided by observing his older siblings that, women were too much trouble. Something that irritated the demon inside to no end.

'_Not that it is any of your business, but yes I am going to think about that "weak little excuse for a Kunoichi". But not for the reasons you would like to believe. It's obvious that you're not your usual observant self since you didn't see the change in her. Yes, she is still weaker than we are. Yet…she is different. During the exams, she was an emotional time bomb. And now, the only indication of emotion was irritation at my lack of respect for her.'_ This, particularly, amused the Kazekage. A mere kunoichi dared to expect respect from the Kazekage.

'_**So what?! She figured out how to control her emotions like every other ninja is supposed to! What's the big deal? Why are you so interested in this GIRL'S emotions?! I thought you said you weren't interested in her!'**_Shukaku went back into his corner to mumble about erratic hormones overwhelming young men's minds and making them contradict themselves…

Gaara thought about some more as he approached the mansion that was now his home. Devoid of company, at least he wouldn't have to deal with his people's looks of fearful worship once he was within those empty walls.

He only had to get to the gate and no one but what currently rested in the depths of his mind and soul would be able to bother him.

Almost there. _'There was something about the girl's eyes that seemed to be the root of her emotionless display.' _A few more steps. _What was it?' _If it wouldn't have looked so immature, he would have ran the rest of the way and straight up to his room to sleep!

"Lord Kazekage!"

Even the legendary Sand Demon of Suna had to suffer defeat occasionally. Looking at the victor, Gaara saw his aide running towards him as though the Akatsuki themselves had placed him in their bingo books. _'No. My enemies would never be so kind.'_ he thought as his eyes narrowed in frustration. _'What did I do this time?! It must have been that MORONIC trade agreement that I decided could wait until the morning.'_

Managing not to use his Desert Coffin on his newest aide, Gaara found out that, no, the Akatsuki are not merciful saviors. In fact, the Akatsuki were looking like a pleasurable, everyday chore compared to the problem the aide presented to his Kazekage.

No one had arranged for accommodations for the kunoichi. She had gone to the only inn in Suna for a place to stay. The inn, due to the approaching festival, was already housing more people than it could really hold. Some rooms were being shared by complete strangers. And the girl had attempted to find a room there. And now, Gaara's aide was saying that Kankuro had gone to deal with the situation, as there was quite a situation when she threatened to implode the inn owner's head for offering to sell her a bed so she could sleep in the street. Gaara chuckled mentally at the picture of the prideful kunoichi sleeping in the streets of Suna. That would bring her back down to Earth.

And then the aide mentioned the solution that Kankuro came up with.

"**He said WHAT?!!!!"**

* * *

A/N and that is where I shall leave it off for this chapter. I may or may not have another one up today. Depends on how popular my phone thinks I am today! ; D Thanks for reading! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Sorry it's been awhile. Had school stuff to sort out and then I had work. And then family stuff. And a whole lot of other excuses that. Bleh! Actually, the main reason that it took me so long was that I was having trouble deciding how, exactly, Sakura would react and how she would clash with Gaara. Would Gaara remain angry about the arrangements made by his presumptive brother? Or would he decide that he like the situation as it was? But more importantly; how angry will Sakura get and how will they calm her down??? Well, onto Sakura's reaction!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or anything associated with him. _If I did…Orochimaru would be kicked out of the Naruto Universe and into the Harry Potter Realm where he could have fun molesting Voldemort!!!_ cough-cough Wow. I think I may need professional help.

**

* * *

**

'_What the HELL?!!! Did he just say what I think he said? Stay in the…the…the…Oh NO! I am not bunking with…I couldn't…possibly…Kan-ku-roooooh'_

Haruno Sakura was having trouble breathing. In fact, she was having trouble with a strange urge welling up within her to stop Kankuro's breathing. It was a battle that she feared she was losing as her arms slowly raised away from the inn keeper and towards Kankuro's neck.

'_**This guy, after we saved his LIFE, is actually SUGESSTING that WE share a HOME w-wi…w-with…The KAZEKAGE!!! He even looks Serious! What is he thinking?! If we don't end up killing him, he'll try to kill us! And, Why I the smirking like that? What? Does he think that he just came up with something incredibly brilliant? Hah! GO ON! You can do it! Just raise those hands a little bit and SQUEEZE!!!'**_

'_What?! No, I would never do something like that. Not to Kankuro, not to anyone. I can't believe I almost, I almost hurt the inn keeper.' _Sakura felt a wave of guilt at her actions. She was not normally one to give into her anger so easily, at least, not around strangers. (Naruto was a different story) Finally she decided that it was all the Kazekage's fault. The whole thing started with him. And it keeps going back to, well, HIM!

'_**Yeah! HIM! It wasn't enough that he had to disrespect us! Or that he had to insult our abilities! Oh NO! He had to go and have a festival! And the one, and only, inn in all of Sunagakure had to be overbooked!!! And his brother, a man whose life WE SAVED, DARES to suggest that we spend the rest of our stay in the KAZEKAGE'S H-O-M-E!!!**_

Though none could hear the conversation, otherwise know as furious ranting between two different personalities, everyone slowly and cautiously backed away from the kunoichi who showed more emotion in a moment than Gaara hid in his entire lifetime. This girl, the kunoichi who had recently faced the Kazekage with an almost perfect emotional shield, the young woman who was known for her sweet temperament and kind manner, the healer who had saved the life of Subaku no Kankuro…

She was undergoing a mood swing every ten seconds.

At one moment, she looked as though she was going to kill the shinobi she had once saved. The next, she seemed full of remorse at what she had done and what she had been prepared to do. Then, once again, she was full of rage. You could practically see her chakra flare up around her body in the form of black flames of fury. Her face, though strikingly beautiful, contorted with each mood. Wide-eyed and shocked, filled with fear of her own actions. Then her expression changed again; narrowed eyes, a frowning brow, and a snarl causing her to show her teeth in a primal display of anger.

'_Why?! Why must I be the target of everyone's jokes? Oh yes, the ugly Sakura is coming to town. Let's make sure she'll have no place to stay. Oh, let's send her to the Kazekage so that he can demean and humiliate her! Oh, lets send her away from her home, the only thing that she had left now that Sa…Why?! Why did Tsunade-sama send her away? Why couldn't she stay and help out in Konoha's hospital like she always does. The Kazekage doesn't even respect her abilities enough to allow her to work in the Suna hospital! He all but said that she was a worthless gesture on the Hokage's part. _

'_**It doesn't matter! He has no idea how valuable we are! He doesn't know anything about us! And what does he know about medicinal practices?! Does he even realize how far we've come in that aspect? And, don't forget, we still have our unnatural strength that Tsunade taught us! We can hold our own in battle! We've bee n on countless solo missions and completed them with flare! He Knows NOTHING about us and has NO Right to treat us the way he did! And so what if Konoha doesn't want us! It's not like we were doing anything there! So Tsunade sent us to Suna where there is nothing for us! SO WHAT! Yeah, it's a blow but we'll make everyone pay in the end! Starting with Kankuro and this moronic inn keeper! Hahaha'**_

No one was prepared to see this. This show of madness in the famous kunoichi was entirely unexpected. No one had thought that anyone could be as fearsome as their Kazekage. Perhaps the kunoichi's anger wasn't that awesome, but in the absence of the Demon of Suna, she seemed that way to the spectators. Until…

* * *

Well, that's what I got so far. I really wanted to put a darker, more Gaara-like madness into the inner Sakura. Tell me if it's okay. I'll try to update soon. ; D


	7. Chapter 7

HI! I got another chapter! Not as long as my other chapters though, sorry. I'm surprised people like this, I really am. Well, anyway, here is the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any other characters and/or products associated with it or its copyright. _But, oh, how I wish I did. I wonder if Shikamaru will ever get motivated._

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

"Kunoichi," everyone turned to see a silhouette against the setting sun . "That is enough" The Kazekage stepped forward and stared the girl down. All of the emotion that had flitted across her face in those moments before Gaara's arrival had combined to create a wide-eyed, confused, and a somewhat lost look of pain. As he stared her in the eyes, he realized what he had seen in her eyes when they had met in his office; hopeless defeat.

She had given up. As they watched each other's eyes, he saw her emotions for what they really were, the illusion of life. That was all that she had left. As he stared her down, he slowly approached her the way you would a wounded tiger. She gave a little whimper when he was only a foot away and collapsed into his arms.

"Kankuro," The Kazekage's brother visibly broke out into a sweat, "we'll talk later." A dome of sand came and disappeared, along with the Kazekage and the troubled kunoichi.

Gaara closed the door behind him and walked down to his study. Kankuro was already waiting for him.

"What happened?" Kankuro gave a little jump. He thought he had gotten used to his younger brother's unnatural stealth. He thought wrong. With a sigh he turned…

"I don't know. When I got there she was arguing with the inn keeper. He sorta offended her." Kankuro tugged one of the ears on his suit in confusion. "And then…her hands were inching towards my neck pulsing with chakra. I thought it was just a threat but she had this…crazed look in her eyes. I knew she was serious when I saw that look."

Kankuro looked at his younger brother, obviously struggling to put words to a thought. Gaara, in all of his memory could not recall a subject that he couldn't talk about, except him. Gaara knew that Kankuro had an idea about the Haruno girl but was afraid to talk about it because it concerned him. He just needed some time.

"Gaara…the look in her eyes…it looked a lot like the look…that…you got…when…when you ki…when you killed people…" Kankuro let out a breath and looked up with certainty glinting in his eye, "Gaara, she looked like you did when you were in the throes of madness."

When Gaara gave no reaction nor made any move to indicate anger or hurt, he slumped as though physically exhausted. When he looked up, Gaara was gone.

Pink hair splayed out around her head like a halo, her face took away from any angelic effect her pretty hair gave her. Her eyes moved rapidly beneath the lids, moans continued to escape through frowning lips, and her brow scrunched together in irritation at whatever her minds saw. She was having something he could understand. A nightmare inflicted by her own darker half.

Gaara paced the bedroom as the kunoichi slept. Kankuro's little joke may have pushed her over the edge. It wouldn't have taken much since she had been falling into despair for a long time now. It was amazing that she had lasted so long. Truly he had been wrong. She had a much stronger will than he had thought. Or perhaps her alter ego was not as self destructive as his Shukaku.

'_Well Demon, what do you make of this? Is she like us? Or is she just suffering from some mental disease?' _

'_**How should I know?! I can't see into her mind! And why would I want to?! HUH? And for your information, the Hokage would not allow her student to leave for another country if she had an inkling that the girl was unstable. Even a kit like you should know that!'**_

And with that, he retired to back of the cage that was Gaara's mind. But then…

'**_Hey kit, that girl__…she…she's hurting. Figure out why, eh?'_**

* * *

Thanks for all y'all's support and all. I really appreciate it. I'll try to get another chapter out soon. 


	8. Chapter 8

Okey-Dokey! This one might be a bit boring, but I'll try to make the next chapter longer and more eventful. Fair warning; future chapters may be slow in coming since the school year is quickly approaching and I got some off days heading my way. So let's try to get as many out there as soon as possible! ; D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything else associated with its copyright. _Muahahahahaha! Little do they know of my plans to steal the copyright through careful coercion so that I may set Zetsu up with some nice girl with a strong stomach!_

**

* * *

**

It was strange. He had work that needed to be done.

Instead, he was pacing the room, waiting for her to wake up.

There was a festival approaching that required his attention if not attendance. Much still had to be done to prepare.

Instead, he was pacing the room, waiting for her to wake up.

He should kill her for attempting to destroy Suna's only inn. He should torture her for coming so close to killing his brother. He should kill her for being a danger to Suna. He should kill her for capturing his attention the way she has.

Instead, he was pacing the room, waiting for her to wake up.

* * *

'_Why? Why did I do those things? I don't understand, I was never like that, was I?'_

'_**Stop you whining! I did you a favor. Those fools insulted you! First, that idiot inn keeper thought it amusing to HELP you sleep outside! And Kankuro, after we saved his miserable life, suggested we live in the same home of that UNBEARABLE DEMON that they call their Kazekage!!! Who; need I remind you, gave us such a warm welcome into Suna it's amazing we didn't start our rampage with his OFFICE!'**_

'_NO! I don't want to do these things! I just want to work at the hospital…I want to help people, not hurt them. Why are you doing this? You were never like this either. A little outspoken but never, never like this…'_

'_**HA! That's what you think Sakura. You see, I am you, but I am also ME! I have always been like this but your body has only recently been able to accept me at this level of consciousness. Where did you think all that strength and chakra you tap into comes from? You think you have that much power in your reserves? I'll admit you've done well to become as strong as you are now. But you still don't have what it takes for my entire self to live within you. As far as that goes, you are still weak!'**_

'_What! You're living…living inside of me?! Like Naruto and Gaara?! But, Tsunade-same would have noticed your presence! I know she would have! You are just my alter ego. My Inner Sakura! You must be! You must be! I'm not weak. I'm not; I just prefer to heal than to hurt…'_

'_**Please! You know the reason Sasuke left you was your weakness. Don't you think he would have taken you with him if you weren't? Did he take you with him Sakura? Did he ask you to come with him on his search for power? NO! You will never be anything BUT weak to Sasuke! You tell them you've moved on but I know better! You are still pining after him! Praying he'll come back and see the error of his ways! You want him to come back to you and beg for your forgiveness and love! For Heaven's SAKE GIRL! Get OVER It! He's not coming back, especially not to you! He's had the right idea; power. It's time you grow up and realized what's really important in this world.'**_

'_No…I'm not weak and I'm not waiting for him to come back…S…Sasu…Sasuke betrayed my village and is an S-class criminal. I refuse to pine after him! And I refuse to abandon the healing arts for Power! I wasn't waiting for him…Why would I…Why would he come back to someone like me?...Why would he want someone as ugly as me?'_

* * *

It took a few moments for her to realize that she was awake. She was no longer locked within herself with an alternate personality. 

She wasn't in Konoha either. The walls around her were of white washed stone. And they were round. The room was shaped like a dome but had the feeling of being on a higher story. The bed that she was in was in the center of the room; it too was round, round and large. The sheets were something she had only dreamed of, a thin silk that you could barely feel against your skin the color of wine. She turned her head to see that the room, though sparsely furnished, seemed to have only furniture of the best quality.

A sedan chair sat near a large window. There was a bookshelf filled with books on politics, languages, locations, and various other subjects. There was even a small table with a couple of chairs. It was more like a rounded loft than a bedroom. There were two doors into the room but she assumed that one was a bathroom and the other led out.

As she sat up to further take in her surroundings, she noticed that there was a large, cushioned seat that rested behind the spot her head had been laying. And it was occupied.

* * *

HAHA! Another cliff hanger! Anyway. Sorry, once again, it is short. It seems so much longer on MICROSOFT WORD...Warning still there. Future chapters may be slow. Thanks for reading and THANKS for reviewing! Please keep it up! ; D 


	9. Chapter 9

Okay. Trying for a longer chapter

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it.

**

* * *

**

He said something that she didn't catch. All she cared about was that she had just woken up in a strange room, possibly his, and that the Kazekage had been watching her sleep.

It was rather awkward. She was clutching the sheets around her front because, for some reason, she was nude. _  
_

'_Oh, he had better not have been the one who undressed me!'_

'_**What are you gonna do if he did? Hehe…'**_

Her back was to him so, in order to watch him, her head had made 180°. Hence, it was rather awkward. Then it occurred to her that, while she was covering her front, her backside was naked to him. Normally something like that wouldn't bother her so much, but she was going through a rough time and there were some things about her back that she didn't want the Kazekage to see. So, she did the only thing any sane person would do as she quickly covered herself with the thin sheets…

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

Breathe…

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

Breathe…

A hand covered her mouth, gentler than she would have thought possible for the demon that was Gaara of the Desert. The words that he spoke though as his eyes turned to those yellow eyes with their strange pupils left no doubt about his identity.

"If you scream again, I will rip your vocal cords out with my bare hands and laugh as I feed them back to you."

She could feel her eyes widen and her lips tremble. For some reason, she couldn't seem to muster any of the strength that she had boasted about to her Inner Sakura. For some reason, she believed that the Kazekage would kill her for what she had done no matter what she had been going through lately. Even if she was the Hokage's protégé. The only thing he would have to do is send a letter of apology to Tsunade-sama and he could move on with his life. She heard herself whimper a little before passing out again.

* * *

Finally, the girl stirred. She had obviously been having a nightmare and it was all Gaara could do to not wake her up. He knew what it was like to have dark, soul-eating nightmares. And all of his instincts screamed that she may be having a similar experience. Perhaps her inner antagonist was not a Great Demon, but it was obvious that there was something inside of her. He couldn't believe that the Hokage has not seen this being dwelling inside of her own student. Or, maybe, she had seen it but decided to leave it alone. Either way, Gaara of the Desert felt an instinctual need to protect this young kunoichi. And then she woke.

She must have felt either dazed or secure as it took her some time to take in her surroundings. She lay there, staring at nothing as her consciousness returned. Finally she sat up and he waited for her to recognize his presence.

In the meantime, he amused himself thinking of all of the possible reactions she might have to her physical state, and who may have put her into it. He smirked at the thought. Most of his scenarios involved her showing the same fury she exhibited at the inn.

And then she sat up. She clutched his sheets to her chest, but her back was left bare to his sight. And, though her body was not unattractive, the scars that crisscrossed her spine would have repulsed the average onlooker. They were not thin, clean, healed as properly as they could have scars. No. They were disgusting to be honest. They were jagged and deep. Obviously left to heal in whatever way they wanted to.

It was a sad sight that, though it did arouse his more animalistic senses and his desire fore blood, Shukaku immediately awoke to voice his fury at the girl's abuse. Whether she had received these wounds on a mission or off duty, the girl's sufferings were disturbing something within both the boy and the Demon. A protectiveness inside of them came to the surface but he could not, would not, show it. He had to beat it down so as not to unduly frighten her. He needed answers. He needed them as soon as possible.

"Kunoichi, why did you attempt to kill my brother?"

She screamed…

She screamed?...

She Screamed?!...

She was STILL screaming!

This had to stop! It was angering him and he didn't want to hurt her. But if she didn't stop screaming…He quickly covered her mouth as gently as possible. He said the first thing that came to mind, Shukaku's irritation at her screaming played no little part in the wording, but it still came out harsh.

"If you scream again, I will rip your vocal cords out with my bare hands and laugh as I feed them back to you."

He hadn't meant to scare her too much. But her body began to tremble and her eyes widened. He could feel her body lose temperature as her lips quivered under his hand. Fear seemed to overwhelm her. She fainted again. Gaara laid her down as gently and covered her up again before going back to his musings.

'**Kit! I don't like this. She seemed stronger back at the inn. But when we came, she simply stopped. And then there's that other personality inside of her. I couldn't really here what she and the personality were talking about, but it was obvious that a fair amount of abuse was directed at the girl. You need to be more careful when she wakes up again. I know you're not a people person but, com on, she's attractive and strong and smart! Do for the action if not the thought! Eh? Eh?'**

Gaara sighed. One minute the Demon almost seemed to have emotions and the next, all he could think about was getting laid. Damn though. He was right about the abuse. She did seem to be suffering. It is entirely possible that the source of her pain was from her own high expectations of herself. But it was also possible that a Great Demon had actually found her a worthy hiding place. No matter what was wrong, he still needed answers. He needed to know what was happening and what had happened. He rose from his seat and left the room for the first time in a week.

* * *

When he got to the kitchen on the first floor, he was pleased to see his older sister Temari sitting in the otherwise empty kitchen. She had, no doubt, scared the kitchen staff into ending their day early.

Trying to get it over with as soon as possible without coming out of the conversation with injuries, he tried to catch his formidable older sister off guard.

"Tem—"

"You want me to take care of your office work and postpone anything that needs your direct attention. Again. Like I have been the entire week." She gave him a look out of the corner of her eye. The same one she gave Kankuro when he talked about how his latest girl was definitely the one the sentence after he mourned the loss of his ex. The "if-you-don't-tell-the-truth-and-stop-playing-I'll-beat-you" look. It was what made her formidable to him as he was physically stronger than she.

Gaara sat down at the counter across from his sister. These were talks that he had grudgingly accepted as necessary. A happy Temari was a happy Suna, and a happy Suna was a rested Gaara. And Temari was only happy when she knew what was going on with her younger brothers.

"Temari, do you remember that Haruno girl. The kunoichi who was on the same team as the Kyuubi and the Uchiha traitor? The Hokage sent her to me asking that I put her to work in Suna's hospital." He looked at her to get her opinion on that part of the situation.

She was nodding her head to herself and then she looked up with a satisfied look in her eyes. "It would do our hospital good to have an addition as valuable as Haruno Sakura. She is, after all, the Hokage's student. I do hope you were planning on putting her to work as soon as possible. Or was it so late that you had to offend her?"

A sigh escaped his lips. "I see." Temari looked down at the counter, "Is she part of the reason you haven't been to your office this past week?"

Gaara nodded his head once. "She is the entire reason. Temari, I need to keep find answers. There is something wrong and I will not be able to focus on anything until I get them. If you would _please_ take care of matters until then, I will try to get them as soon as possible. When she is ready, I'll send her to the hospital to work as a guest physician. I do not think that she would be comfortable starting at a high position but I do not want her to be taken advantage of either."

Once again, Temari nodded her agreement. "I want to see her later. Try not to hurt her, I know she is stubborn. And, _yes_, I'll take care of the paperwork. Sometimes I think that's the only reason I exist, is to do your paperwork. sigh Go on, I'll take care of things."

* * *

Having gotten that out of his way, Gaara stayed a little while longer to talk with Temari and to get her report. Not too long after, she left for his office and he went back upstairs to check on the kunoichi.

Only, the bed was empty. He checked the entire room. But he couldn't find her. He looked for her chakra signature too, but still, she was untraceable. How did she get out? He didn't hear or sense her. And now she could be anywhere in Suna.

Perhaps she had gone after the inn keeper or Kankuro with the intention to finish what she had started.

Or perhaps she was scared and just looking for some form of security. It didn't matter. He had to find her. He had to find her as soon as her could.

* * *

I did it! I made a longer chapter! phew-phew-phew That was fun. Time for a nap! Enjoy ; D 


	10. Chapter 10

I'm back with the next chapter. I was asked a question about Sakura fainting in the last chapter. I said at the start that I wanted Sakura to be a stronger, well-rounded character. And then I made her faint, twice. It probably seems like I am contradicting myself a lot, in a lot of cases I probably am, but I have a reason for the fainting thing. The thing is, psychological trauma is never an easy thing for a person to deal with. Knowing that the source of the current trauma is a different personality living inside the person's mind doesn't help. And I intend to add more traumas later. In fact, I intend to add some more right now. But, anyway, the second time she fainted, she had fear AND trauma weighing her down. So, that is sorta why she passed out.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything associated to it and its copyright. _If I did, Kankuro wouldn't be wearing that ridiculous cat suit._

**

* * *

**

She ran along the streets of Suna with nothing other than the sheets she clutched around her otherwise naked body. She tried to stay in the shaded areas but still, the sun seemed to be focusing its rays on her.

Why was she running? She did not really know for sure. She did know that the Kazekage had seen something that not even Naruto had been allowed to know about. The Kazekage saw the scars that marred her back and looked as though he had every intention of inquiring about them. This would not do.

Tsunade had said that she was to go to Suna and assist in the growth of the hospital. But she knew that her beloved foster mother had other intentions. Tsunade had long been worried about Sakura and had done everything she could to find a solution. Her last resort was to send Sakura away to Village Hidden in the Sand where little was familiar, where she would not be reminded of anything related to whatever was hurting her. Tsunade still did not know for sure what it was that troubled the kunoichi. She had seen the scars but had attributed them to an unfortunate occurrence on a mission. She had not asked question the way the Kazekage intended to.

Sakura was determined to keep her secrets. So she climbed down through the large window. It was simple to send chakra to her feet to walk on the outer walls. The only difficulty was in silencing the window's screeching hinges when she opened it. She finally decided to muffle the sound with her chakra. It worked well enough. The Kazekage wasn't chasing her, yet. She would keep her secrets.

Her hand reached up to her neck, searching for something that had always been there. But, like her clothes, it too had been stripped from her body. Her necklace, given to her by her birth mother in a family tradition, was laying somewhere with her clothes. Her necklace, her talisman…

* * *

"_Momma! Momma what is that? Around your neck, Momma, what is it? Can I wear it Momma?"_

"_Not this time 'Kura. When you are older you will wear the necklace."_

Her mother had been strong, stronger than anyone believed to be possible. But she was also kind and gentle. She had been a perfect mother. Somehow, despite all of the missions she had to go on, she was always there for her daughter. Until, she met someone stronger.

* * *

They were already trying to comfort her father when she got home from the academy. She was upset and wanted to talk to her momma about how Ino-pig had picked on her because of her forehead. But her momma wasn't inside. Only her father and three ANBU ninjas, momma wasn't there.

Her father looked up, saw her confused face, and sobbed. Poppa doesn't cry. Poppa never cries. Poppa doesn't cry.

"Ah, you must be Sakura." One of the ninjas knelt down in front of her. He had a strange mask on shaped like a weasel. "I'm afraid we have some bad news-"

"NO! I will tell her! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HOME!" Her father had pushed the ninja away and picked her up. While he yelled at the ninjas, he carried her up to her room. She had started crying. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Poppa doesn't cry and he doesn't yell either.

One of the ninjas followed them upstairs but he wasn't the weasel, he had a dog mask. "It is understandable sir. Please, the Hokage has ordered that you and your daughter be taken care of due to your wife's immense contribution to Konoha." The dog-ninja paused at the look of fury on her father's face but continued with his message. He held out his hand, in it was her mother's necklace, and Sakura knew what had happened. She knew that her momma never took her necklace off. "I was told to inform you that your daughter is to inherit the Gift." He had in is hand, her mother's necklace. "This is for you to wear, AFTER you have gone through the ceremony." He looked at her poppa and nodded his head before placing the necklace back into his pocket. And then he left. He left with her mother's necklace.

Her father sat her on her bed and told her how momma was gone and not coming back. How momma was in a better place and was waiting for us. But we couldn't just go to her, we had to wait. All of his words were pointless. She had seen momma's necklace. Momma wasn't wearing it. Sakura knew when the dog-ninja showed it to her that Momma couldn't wear her necklace anymore.

* * *

Her father had never gotten over her mother's death. It had changed him. He wasn't a ninja, he owned a book store that had their house above it, and so he never really understood the way of the ninja. He didn't understand Sakura's interest. He wouldn't pull her out of the academy but he wouldn't help her either.

He used to be a gentle man. Happy and kind. Like her mother, he had been the perfect parent. Now, when he looked at her, all she saw was sorrow and anger. It didn't take long for him to come up with a way to relieve himself of his emotions, not long at all. It started about two months after her mother's death. People had stopped coming to check on them every day.

"Sakura. Come with me."

She followed him upstairs after he closed the store. They went down the halls toward the bedrooms. She figured that this must be another one of his "don't-worry-we'll-get-through-this" talks that he had taken to having with her in his room. He would sit down on an easy chair and she would sit on the bed and they would talk. And they all ended with "Don't worry, we'll get through this."

This time though, this time was different. He stopped at the closet and pulled out a box before continuing to the room. He didn't say anything as they walked to his room. She stopped just long enough to put her things away in her room before following after him. But when he got to the room, she didn't see him there.

Then the door closed behind her and her arms were forced behind her back. Something, it felt like a belt, was used to bind them there. She was thrown onto the bed so that she was lying on her stomach. She saw her poppa, his eyes shining with madness, for that was the only explanation that would spare her heart.

He stuffed a rag down her throat and ripped her shirt off. "You know, you really do look like your mother. You also act like her. You're also cursed like her."

He had something in his hand, she couldn't see what it was. But then…

Blind, searing pain. It hurt. How could something so cold cause her to feel such burning pain? It had been a knife. One of those knives that a master chef brags about having, it's so sharp. He cut her back to shreds. He left her there, in pain, for a few hours. When he came back, he started cutting her again. She had long since given up screaming since she could barely hear herself screaming though the gag. Every now and then she would let out a muffled moan when the pain got worse. How was that possible? Every time she thought that the pain couldn't get worse it did. It wasn't fair. She was only seven. It wasn't fair.

* * *

Afterwards, he had bandaged her up some. It was poorly done but the bleeding eventually stopped. He told her that was her punishment for her curse. For being a burden. For being like her mother.

From that day on, she strove to be the best but as far as her father was concerned, she was useless. She would never amount to anything. Every time she came in second best, he punished her. It seemed like an eternity but actually, her torture lasted three years. That was how long it took for her father to kill himself after his wife's death.

It was her last year in the academy and the dog-ninja who had come to tell her of her mother's death, came to tell her that her father had killed himself. She felt wretched. She cried for weeks. Not out of sorrow as everyone believed but out of relief. She had known that her father would one day grow tired of simply cutting her and subjecting her to verbal abuse. He would have killed her out right if it had gone on any longer. She cried from relief, not sorrow. She had long since ceased the mourning of her father's death. He had died with her mother.

But her father's death was not the only thing the ANBU ninja had to relay to her. He told her that the ceremony he had told her of was going to be held on her twelfth birthday. On that day, she would inherit the necklace her mother wore.

* * *

Okay. I feel kinda bad about this chapter. I don't like giving people hurts. R&R please.


End file.
